Chapter 17: Chapter 16: I Beg You
The driver was completely unaware that he was in deep trouble.
He was still pleased with himself, thinking he’d helped Wang Han say what she was reluctant to.
Huang Yunfeng apologized and explained with a pained expression.
"I’m so sorry, President Wang! We just thought they were really delicious, so we wanted to bring them to you right away."
"We didn’t mean anything else by it. We just thought they were delicious and wanted you to have a taste."
"President Wang, these buns are quite expensive, and they really do taste great," Liu Xing chimed in. He didn’t dare praise them too extravagantly, afraid she’d get even angrier.
The men’s hearts turned bitter. Their plea today was probably a lost cause.
But who would have known? On a whim, Wang Han’s expression suddenly softened.
"Alright. You meant well. I was the one who overreacted. Give me a bun, I’ll try it."
"Huh?? Oh! Yes, yes! President Wang, do you like shrimp filling?"
"Just give it to me."
Huang Yunfeng quickly handed over a box of the shrimp and corn buns. He even thoughtfully helped open the lid, careful not to touch the buns themselves.
’This woman might be a germaphobe!’
Wang Han picked up a soft, warm bun.
She held it to her delicate nose and took a sniff.
The clean fragrance of wheat flour, wrapped in the sweet scent of corn, rushed to her brain.
Her empty stomach immediately began to grumble.
Her appetite was whetted.
"This smell... it’s actually not bad?"
"Yes, we thought they were delicious too."
Wang Han placed the bun to her lips and took a small bite.
The bun’s moisture was sealed inside, leaving the outside dry and not sticky. Thanks to the takeout container, it was still warm.
As she bit down, her teeth broke through the soft, yet firm, dough.
’Mm, this dough is good,’
she silently judged.
Then, a piece of the white dough, wrapped around the shrimp and corn, entered her mouth.
Wang Han chewed nonchalantly, but a moment later, her phoenix eyes widened in shock.
The exquisite meat of the Little Cyan Dragon lobster and the top-tier sweet juices from the Waxy Corn flowed over her tongue.
There was also the natural, gentle aroma from the seasonings.
Salty, fragrant, sweet, and umami...
She quickly took a second bite, then a third.
After four bites, she had stuffed the entire bun into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out.
Then, she actually picked up another bun and started eating it.
The driver was dumbfounded. ’What’s going on? President Wang is actually eating a second bun from these country bumpkins? What is happening?!’
Huang Yunfeng and the four other men stared, their mouths agape.
’These buns seem to have more charm than we expected!’
Their expressions immediately turned to excitement.
Wang Han then opened the other two boxes in succession.
She tasted the chive and egg bun, and the "three delicacies" bun.
After eating one of each,
she reluctantly put the lids back on.
She planned to take them to her father later for him to try.
At the same time, she was a little shocked and suspicious. The taste of these buns was identical to the ones her mother had brought her once before.
’But how could that kind of food appear here?’
Her mother was a third-generation government official.
She had once attended a special banquet where all the food was made from top-quality fresh ingredients flown in from all over the country. The chefs who prepared them were all state-banquet level masters.
The soup dumplings her mother brought back that day...
She still yearned for that flavor. She never expected to taste it again today. Not only was the flavor even better, but it was also incredibly fresh!
Huang Yunfeng and the four other men watched the pensive Wang Han with eager eyes.
They didn’t dare to interrupt.
Finally, Wang Han came back to her senses and looked up at them. "Where did you get these buns?"
Huang Yunfeng quickly replied, "Over on Yangzhai Street. It’s a small shop called ’Second Best Food in the World’. It just opened today. The owner has a cute daughter."
Wang Han nodded, her curiosity growing even more.
"Mm, I see... um." She hesitated, a look of embarrassment on her face.
"Could you... bring me that box on the ground? Wasting food is shameful."
"Huh? Oh, right."
Liu Xing was the first to react, scrambling to pick up the box of pork and scallion buns from the ground. He even thoughtfully wiped it with a tissue.
The driver was even more bewildered.
’What on earth do these buns taste like? Is all this really necessary?’
Nevertheless, he secretly memorized the address.
Wang Han took out a wet wipe,
wiped the box all over again, and then carefully placed it in a paper bag.
’Who knows if that shop will have any more of these buns. I have to cherish them.’
Wang Han took out her phone, pulled up her QR code, and held it out the window.
"Do you want to add me as a friend?"
Huang Yunfeng was stunned. ’Add her as a friend?’
’Could it be... President Wang likes me?’
Behind him, Liu Xing was tugging hard on his clothes.
He was screaming internally:
’This is your promotion, for crying out loud! Add her on WeChat and you’ll be one of President Wang’s confidants! What the hell are you waiting for? Can’t you see even the foreman isn’t qualified to contact President Wang directly?!’
Huang Yunfeng snapped out of it. This was clearly a sign that she wanted to groom him!
He quickly took out his phone and scanned the code.
"Done, President Wang. Please accept the request. I’ll send you my resume later."
"Mm."
Wang Han nodded, then looked at him encouragingly.
"Keep learning on the construction site. Pay special attention to the different trades. Learn as much as you can, watch everything. I’ll be keeping an eye on you. If anything comes up in the future, just message me on WeChat."
She felt this man had potential.
Most importantly, the buns had left her very satisfied.
She planned to cultivate him as one of her own people. That way, she could bring him along on future projects and save herself the trouble of arguing with outsiders.
"Yes, yes, okay, President Wang! I’ll definitely study hard!"
Huang Yunfeng nodded vigorously.
The four men behind him clenched their fists. ’Brother Huang is about to take off! If we stick with him, won’t we get to ride his coattails?’
’Holy crap, isn’t that awesome?’
The driver was sick with jealousy.
The news would surely spread like wildfire across the construction site.
Five country bumpkins with four boxes of buns had actually conquered the picky foodie, President Wang. President Wang had even personally offered one of them a promotion! ’Is there any justice in this world? Is there?!’
The car window closed, and Wang Han looked down at the buns, lost in thought.
’Someone is actually selling buns like these?’
After all, the conditions for making these buns were complex.
Not only did they require top-quality fresh ingredients to be air-freighted, but they also demanded a chef with precise control over the ingredients and profound skill.
Only then could such a special texture be achieved.
Never mind her; even a high-ranking official like her mother rarely got to eat them.
And now they were being sold on the street like common goods.
’It’s unbelievable. ’Second Best Food in the World’... Do they really have such top-tier cuisine?’
————
「Second Best Food in the World」
"Oof, oof, my stomach... I can’t take it anymore. My legs have turned to jelly."
Yaoyao leaned against the wall, shuffling her way out one step at a time.
"Whose fault is that? I told you to eat less, but you insisted on stuffing yourself. Even if you eat till you burst, you can’t blame the handsome boss, you know?"
Yang Touyang mumbled.
She also clutched her round belly as she walked to the counter, looking like she was three months pregnant.
"Boss, how much is it?"
Jiang Liu took out a calculator and did the math.
"Twelve shrimp buns are one hundred eighty, nine ’three delicacies’ buns are forty-two, six pork and scallion buns are thirty-six, and three chive buns are fifteen."
"That’s 273 in total."
"Okay, handsome boss, I’ve sent the payment."
[Alipay transaction received: 273 yuan.]
"Alright. Welcome back anytime. Feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions."
"Nope, none at all! Thanks for having us, Boss. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Tongtong!"
"Come back and eat more, pretty sisters! Tongtong will be waiting for you!"
"Haha, okay, okay."
The three students left.
The shop grew quiet again.
Jiang Liu looked at the buns. There were thirteen left.
This morning, he had steamed forty of each type of bun.
His family had eaten some, he’d sold some, and he’d given some away.
Another ten or twenty minutes passed, but the remaining buns still hadn’t sold.
A few people came in during that time, but they left for the shop next door after hearing the prices.
The knife-cut noodle shop next door was quite busy now.
"Tongtong, it’s seven-thirty. Let’s go, time for kindergarten."
GAK!
Tongtong, who had been hiding in the back kitchen trying to make herself inconspicuous, immediately let her little face fall.
She hugged a table leg pitifully, looking pleadingly at the heartless Jiang Liu!
"Daddy, Daddy, I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay here with you!"
"A spanking or kindergarten. Your choice!"
Jiang Liu remained unmoved, his expression calm.
He subconsciously spit on his palms twice and rubbed his hands together.
"I’m not going, I’m not going! Don’t pull me, I’m begging you, WAAAH! I won’t go!"
"It’s not up to you!"
Tongtong desperately clung to the table while Jiang Liu pulled on her little backpack. The table scraped across the floor, making a teeth-grinding SCRRRAAAPE.
